For the Love of Mutts and Bugs
by Amber Treelights
Summary: "You DO think she's hot, right?" "She is my teacher!" "Look, either you think she's hot, or you don't; and if you DON'T think she's hot, I'm just gonna assume that means you're gay." In which Kiba challenges Shino to a fight for Kurenai's attention.


**"For the Love of Mutts and Bugs"**  
**Chapter 1**

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Neither of them had expected that being on the same team would bring good things. Especially not Kiba. Of course, Kiba wouldn't really have thought _any _team would bring good things: he'd never really been too much of a _team _kinda guy. It wasn't as though he had something against teams, or that he didn't want a team; he just always found more fun in training with Akamaru, rather than other humans. But as he had been raised in a clan of humans _and_ canines, he could easily fit into any pack at will – he was used to packs. And teamwork, for that matter.

Something he certainly _wasn't _used to, however, was a hot sensei.

And this hot sensei was exactly the reason he felt that he and Shino Aburame would probably get along fine: they both shared the common and inevitable attraction to sex appeal of the female gender. Or so he figured.

"Hey, bug-boy." Kiba gave a sharp-toothed grin as he approached his teammate with a wave.

The three of them, he, Shino, and Hinata, had only been teammates for a couple days now. They'd met Kurenai, and she'd given them the assignment of getting to know one another while she left to retrieve some equipment for their first real training exercise. Of course, they _knew _one another…just not well, as they hadn't exactly been 'best friends' in Iruka's class; and while Kiba usually _hated _exercises like these, this was one he was actually looking forward to.

Shino tilted his head down a bit at the approach, holding the same expression he always held. He would've preferred the mutt to use his real name, but he said nothing. Trouble certainly wasn't something he had on his agenda for today, after all.

Once he'd approached, Kiba closed one eye, elbowing his teammate a little harder than lightly.

The Aburame finally reacted, moving away with an annoyed grunt. "What?"

A moment of the mutt's mischievous (_and stupid_, thought Shino) grinning followed the response. Kiba, after all, didn't want to make his reason known just yet. He'd rather pause a moment…a short moment that probably made no difference at all. Finally, he continued.

"Sensei's pretty hot."

Shino blinked. Though such an action was impossible to see through his dark glasses. And following it, he did nothing else. Just stood across from his teammate who, it seemed, could only state the obvious. The wallflower certainly hoped Kiba wasn't intending to get a _real _reaction out of him: because he would get no such thing. Discussing his sensei's level of attraction was again, not something on today's agenda.

Not to mention, it was entirely inappropriate…no matter how attractive she was.

"Good to know," he answered the mutt.

And at the answer, Shino turned to leave the general area. The two small bits of dialogue were quite enough for him to know he wasn't interested in anything else Kiba had to say. Especially since his personal aim was to be a shinobi…not a child. But as soon as he'd turned to go, another question came his way. A question that could do nothing but stop him.

"You DO think she's hot…right?"

Oh geeze.

Shino paused. "_She _is my teacher."

Obviously, oh so very obviously, discussing a sensei's hotness was the kind in inappropriate that should be avoided, at all costs. But of course, Kiba _would_ be the one to completely ignore such a thing, and dive right into everything Shino knew as wrong.

He could almost feel the mutt's smile widening.

"But she's your _hot _teacher…right?"

"…"

"Look, either you think she's hot, or you don't. And if you _don't _think she's hot, I'm just gonna assume that means you're gay."

Almost instantly, Shino turned to face him again, brows furrowed a bit more than normal. He silently cursed himself for falling into such an obvious trap; but trap or not, he certainly wasn't gay. It was bad enough that his mother had even hinted at the same question recently! And as much as he hated to stoop to the mutt's level, even he couldn't deny that his teacher was an attractive woman…especially not when it was either admitting it, or hoping Kiba wouldn't go around the village spreading lies.

Hesitantly, and audibly, he sighed. _"Yes._ She is _attractive." _

But rather than give the satisfied grin the wallflower was expecting, Kiba only raised an eyebrow, looking completely _un_satisfied. After a moment, he too sighed, crossing his arms and turning away slightly.

"_Attractive._ What is she, a _bug? _I don't believe you."

Just like a child. Shino could only stare at the boy, wondering why his answer hadn't been enough for him, and wondering what it was he was supposed to say. Scraping his brain for a reply, he finally spoke.

"…Fine. She's _hot, _as you like to put it."

Kiba looked to him carelessly.

"Oh, sorry, did you say something?"

"Kiba, I am not gay!"

The bug-boy was almost angered now at how his teammate was acting; if he'd known Kiba was this childish, he would've requested to be on a different squad. Never in his life had he been accused of something due to trying to be appropriate. Let alone something this untrue, and annoying. And to his surprise, the mutt only laughed at his words.

He said, "Pal, if you want _me _to believe that, you're gonna have to prove it now. You missed your chances of just _telling _me."

Prove it. Shino swallowed silently. He didn't like the sound of that.

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**Just because I'm paranoid someone's thinking this - I don't have anything against gay people!**  
**I just don't think Shino's gay. Lol. And even if he WAS, for the purposes of this story, he isn't. **

**I've never considered myself too good at writing funny things, but nevertheless, this came to my head yesterday.**  
**And I wanted to write it. Hope you're enjoying it so far!**

**Thanks for reading.(: Reviews, favs, & alerts are all appreciated! **


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